


Last Lullaby

by Wallwalker



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, F/F, Fluff, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 10:05:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7797583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tifa thinks of Aeris before the descent into the Crater.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Lullaby

Tifa sits and listens to the wind as it whistles around them. It's strong enough to make some of the rocks tremble, and cold enough to make her shiver, even against the warmth of Cloud's back. He is asleep, exhausted from their ordeal and his own long voyage of self-discovery; she is still wide awake, and as much as she wishes she could say something, she doesn't want to wake him. They've been through enough.

She sighs deeply, and reaches into her own pouch. She finds the length of pink ribbon immediately, soft and smooth, and carefully straightens it as she pulls it back out. The wind kicks up, and it takes her breath away for a moment; she quickly winds it around her fingers as much as she can, to keep it from blowing away. She won't lose this. She can't - it's one of the only things she has left from... from her. 

Tifa holds the ribbon to her nose; it still smells of Aeris, of flowers, of hair and sweat. 

She remembers sitting in bed, trying to keep her head still as Aeris tugged gently at her hair. "I've almost got it," Aeris had said at last, and Tifa had felt her winding her hair around itself, pulling it into a bun. "You have such thick hair! I'm a little jealous." 

"You don't have to do that," Tifa had said, slightly embarrassed. Why had that embarrassed her, she wonders? Being topless in front of Aeris had been easy enough - she'd barely even felt self-conscious about her scars by then. Aeris had shown her scars first, places where tubes and sensors had once been implanted, and she had not been ashamed; Tifa had decided to try to do the same for her. 

"It helps, believe me," Aeris had answered, patting her on the shoulder. "I mean, you don't want me pulling your hair, do you? Not by accident, anyway," she had amended, giggling. 

"Aeris!" Tifa hadn't blushed so hard in years, she was sure. How long had it been since she'd been this close to anyone? She hadn't shared a bed in so long - it had never felt safe, not after everything that had happened. Not until she'd met Aeris. 

"All done," Aeris said, moving her arm away from Tifa's hair. "You look good with your hair up, you know."

"Thanks," Tifa said, still blushing. She turned around, saw Aeris watching her, still smiling that same bright smile. Kissing her had been like kissing sunshine, and holding her... Tifa couldn't remember feeling more at peace than she had those few nights, before she'd -

The wind picks up again, and Tifa jumps, pulled back from her memory. She looks around, but she's still the only one there and awake. Cloud hasn't even stirred.

_Aeris,_ she thinks, still clutching the ribbon tightly. _Are you there, Aeris? Are you watching over us? You were always so alive, so positive, even when you were afraid. You just... kept going, and I don't know how you did it, but I was always so happy to see you smile._ She takes a deep breath, breathing in the scent again; tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. _I just... I miss you so much!_

_She hears the wind blow again, but it's different, somehow. It's not so strong or so loud, and the whistling sounds almost familiar. It's a hum, she thinks, a lullaby._

_You are there, aren't you?_ she thinks, and the song grows sweeter and calmer. Tifa smiles slightly, although she still feels the tears as they start to run down her face. _Because if you're really there, then... I can get through this. We can get through this. I just... I hope I can see you again, someday!_

Maybe it's just her imagination. But even if it is.... Tifa lets herself rest against the rock, against her best friend's shoulder. She'll be all right. Aeris keeps singing through the wind, her last lullaby, and it's enough to calm Tifa's worries, to lull her to sleep at last. 

\--- 

Tifa wakes up in the morning, refreshed and ready to fight; she smiles when she looks down at her hand, and sees the ribbon knotted around her fingers, secure against the wind. 

_It'll be all right, won't it?_ she thinks, and looks up at the clear blue sky above them. _Thanks, Aeris._


End file.
